Phil Robertson: We better buckle up, and we better go to the polls
A My Faith Votes Q&A with Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty
We recently had the opportunity to catch up with our friend and My Faith Votes influencer Phil Robertson. He is the founder of The Duck Commander, star of the television series “Duck Dynasty,” host of the “Unashamed” podcast and a New York Times best-selling author.
We discussed his latest book, Jesus Politics: How to Win Back the Soul of America, the importance of having a kingdom perspective and why Christians should participate in elections.
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This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
Talk a little bit about why the book is called Jesus Politics.
Satan himself is the instigator of all evil behavior. It's what you're witnessing on the streets. The burning, the looting, the shooting and all of the immorality. “Get rid of Trump as president. Arm the people, get rid of law enforcement. Get rid of all historical monuments. Get rid of love, replace it with hate. Get rid of joy, replace it with anger. Get rid of peace, replace it with anarchy” — I'm giving you the fruit of the spirit and the opposite of that — “Get rid of patience, replace it with belligerence. Get rid of kindness, replace it with vulgarity. Get rid of goodness, replace it with depravity. Get rid of faithfulness, replace it with filth. Get rid of gentleness, replace it with recklessness. Get rid of self-control, replace it with wicked lawlessness. Come join us. We were trained by Karl Marx.”
That's what the book’s about. I'm trying to warn America that the coming cloud is not going to be a pretty sight. This election is really important. I've had three sessions with [President] Donald Trump. All three times, this was at the center of it. I told him about Jesus. I told him about the resurrection, God removing his sin. I said, “Trump, you do have sins, don't you?” He said, “Oh, yeah.” I said, “So does everybody else, dude. We're all going into a six-foot hole, or cremated or whatever. What then? Jesus will give you life and immortality, guaranteed.”
He listened intently. And the little notes I was reading from, he said as I left, “Hey, can I have that?” The next time I talked to him, it was a phone call. He said, “Phil, I want you to know, I still have that paper that you wrote down about Jesus.” I said, “Put it in your heart. Mr. President.”
Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. I wanted him to have a relationship with Jesus like everybody else.
Many Christians say, “I don't want to be involved in politics,” but that’s exactly where this battle is happening. Talk to that a little bit.
The nice thing about a democratic republic, a constitutional republic, is that you can vote the evildoers out, and you can elect godly people. Look at their background, check them carefully. I try to find the godliest ones. Encourage godly men and women to run and put them in [office]. It would be amazing, our policies will begin to shift, if the Lord Jesus, through his Spirit, dwelt in the human hearts of the United States of America.
You talk about the “Kingdom Manifesto” throughout your book. What do you mean when you use that term?
John the Baptist said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). Jesus set up the disciples and said, “Proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 10:7).
Jesus said the kingdom does not come visibly. We are the kingdom of God. Jesus is the king. It's an eternal kingdom working within, in our case, the confines of a constitutional republic. So we are here to teach people to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind and help them with self-control.
A government can't remove our sin. I'm going to vote for the godliest among us. But they’re not the answer to our problems. Only King Jesus is. So I bow down to him and him alone. So it's a pretty cool thing to be in the arms of Jesus Christ. It gives you what is the rarest of commodities: peace of mind.
This is the election of our lifetime. Speak to that a little bit.
When you start to see your fellow Americans burning Bibles, you’re close to the tipping point and Satan winning the war. Those people you mentioned that claim Christianity [also] claim Jesus [but] don't vote. They don't realize how critical a time we live in; you can lose your freedom. So we better buckle up, and we better go to the polls.
Watch the full interview with Phil Robertson on My Faith Votes’ Youtube channel.
Phil Robertson’s new book, Jesus Politics: How to Win Back the Soul of America, is available wherever books are sold.
My Faith Votes is a nonpartisan movement that motivates, equips and activates Christians in America to vote in every election, transforming our communities and influencing our nation with biblical truth. By partnering with national faith leaders, My Faith Votes provides resources to help Christians Pray, Think, and Act to create an America where God is honored in the public square. Learn more at MyFaithVotes.org.
